Jason Ryan hails Ballygunner mindset as they banish more semi-final demons

Ballygunner trailed by three points after 37 minutes but then reeled off the next eight points as they beat Wexford and Leinster champions St Martin's

Ballygunner manager Jason Ryan: "It was fairly high octane, but a very different game maybe than what you're going to see in the month of August or July." Pic: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

This Ballygunner group hasn’t reached as many All-Ireland club finals as they believe themselves capable of, boss Jason Ryan has said.

Having fallen at the semi-final hurdle on three of the last four occasions they emerged out of Munster since 2018, the current Ballygunner crop banished plenty of old demons to secure only the club’s second-ever All-Ireland final appearance.

“Unbelievable. It's going to be massive,” Ryan said of returning to Croke Park almost four years after their maiden final appearance and win.

“They've been in so many county finals and Munster matches that it's nearly like you hope to win and you hope it goes according to plan, and if you play well then you may win, but they just haven't been at this stage as many times as what they believe they can, or what the desire is there for.

“You're knocking at the door in an All-Ireland semi-final, and they've been in so many of them, so it's brilliant.”

From a position of three down on 37 minutes, Ballygunner gave a sensational display of mental strength to reel off the game’s next eight points and, in the process, extricate themselves from serious bother.

“Shane O'Sullivan deserves a lot of credit for all the work that he's doing with them on their mindset. And also as individuals, the amount of work that they're doing away from the field.

“They're conditioned really well. Darragh Mulcahy is our strength and conditioning coach, and he's done a really top-notch job with them.

“There are certain things that have happened this year but there's way more that has happened over the last six, seven, eight years with Darragh O'Sullivan and David Franks and the work that they've done.

“Sometimes something can happen because of what's going on now, but the way they're performing now is a combination of just multiple people that have supported them and developed them into the formidable team that they are."

Their comfortable final quarter and nine-point winning margin were so far removed from the suffocating and uncomfortable first 40 minutes.

“We talk about the game of hurling, how many scores there are, and how open it can be at times, but it was just so congested and so tight, and a lot of errors and an awful lot of rucks.

“So, for a neutral person watching it on television, it was fairly high octane, but a very different game maybe than what you're going to see in the month of August or July. You just have to play what's in front of you. In the second half, our execution was that bit better. Created more chances, and thankfully took a good few of them.”